Generally, the technique for analyzing components that constitute a biological sample has been introduced. The biological sample of a patient is processed in a container exclusively used for the aforementioned technique. Upon use of a blood sample, the collected blood is fed into a blood tube which has been preliminarily filled with a separating agent. Thereafter, the blood tube is subjected to centrifugal separation so that the blood is separated into clot and serum layers. Then the serum as the component necessary to the analysis is extracted.
Recently, the inspection item measurable by means of the serum has been diversified. As a result, a large number of automatic analyzers have been provided, leading to significantly increased samples. The aforementioned situation has necessitated pre analysis to be executed before loading the biological sample into the automatic analyzer, or the system for automatically transporting the sample to the automatic analyzer.
The process for detecting index and liquid amount of the serum has been known as the pre analysis. If the serum as the sample is colored different from the normal color (pale yellow), for example, the hemolysis (red), jaundice (dark yellow) and chyle (milky-white), such sample may cause an error in the automatic analyzer operated in accordance with the absorbance as the measurement principle. In order to avoid the error, it is necessary to remove the sample indexed as hemolysis, jaundice and chyle. In the case of hemolysis, it is necessary to require the physician to carry out the blood collection again. If the liquid amount of the serum is insufficient for the analysis, the aliquot amount has to be determined by prioritizing the analytical items. Furthermore, the probe may thrust through the separating agent during aliquot, resulting in such error as clogging. It is therefore necessary to recognize insufficiency in the liquid amount of the serum before aliquot process. In one of methods practically utilized in the laboratory, the label is applied to a surface of the blood tube, on which important information such as patient ID, personal information, parameters necessary for device operation is provided. Patent Literature 1 discloses the art for handling the labeled blood tube, which is configured to identify the unlabeled surface by checking the light receiving level of the photodetector of the optical sensor during horizontal rotation of the blood tube by the rotation mechanism, and to have image data of the identified surface picked up by a camera for calculating the blood volume.